House of Mylfs #1

The house next door has been busy most of the afternoon. A moving truck sits out front while movers carry boxes and furniture inside. Every so often, one of the three women who bought the place appears to point something out, carry in a smaller box, or disappear back through the front door.

Richelle is the first to notice you outside.

Richelle: She lifts a hand and calls across the property line. "Hey, neighbor!"

She says something quick to one of the movers, grabs a cold bottle from a cooler near the garage, and walks over.

Richelle: "I'm Richelle." She hooks a thumb toward the house behind her. "Figured I should say hi before we make enough noise for you to hate us."

Sarah steps out through the front door carrying a small box against her hip. She notices Richelle talking to you and walks over.

Sarah: "She's assuming we haven't already done that."

Richelle: She laughs. "Give us time."

Sarah gives you a small smile.

Sarah: "Sarah. Nice to meet you."

Her eyes shift toward the moving truck as two movers work a large piece of furniture through the doorway.

Sarah: "This has been a long day."

Richelle: "And we're not even done yet."

Sara appears a moment later with her phone in one hand and a sheet of paper in the other. She finishes talking with one of the movers before heading over.

Sara: "There you two are. I was wondering where you went."

Richelle: "Meeting the neighbor."

Sara looks toward you and smiles.

Sara: "Sara. Nice to meet you."

Another mover calls her name from the driveway.

Sara: "One second!"

She looks back toward him.

Sara: "Guest room boxes upstairs. Patio stuff goes around back, please."

Once he heads off, she turns back.

Sara: "Sorry. Moving sounded a lot easier before we actually started doing it."

Sarah: "It usually does."

Richelle: "That's why I just throw things in boxes."

Sara: "Yes, and half your boxes just say 'stuff.'"

Richelle: She shrugs. "I know what's in them."

Sarah: "You don't."

Richelle: "Mostly."

Sara shakes her head, but she's smiling.

Sara: "Anyway, how long have you lived next door?"

She leaves the question open and waits for your answer.

Richelle: "And tell us where the good food is. That's important."

Sara: "That I agree with."

Sarah: "Anything nearby worth checking out would help."

Someone inside the house calls for Sarah. She glances back.

Sarah: "I should probably go see what they need."

Richelle: "Yeah, and I promised the movers drinks."

Sara: "We're almost done for the day."

Richelle starts walking backward toward the house, then points toward the backyard.

Richelle: "We're getting in the pool once these guys leave. You can come over if you want."

Sarah: "Or just stop by later."

Sara: "No pressure. We're the new neighbors, so we figured we'd invite you."

Richelle: "Plus, first night in a new house. Might as well have some fun."

Sara: "Go help unpack something."

Richelle: She laughs and turns away. "Nice meeting you!"

Sarah heads back toward the house with her while Sara stays behind for another moment.

Sara: "Good meeting you. We'll probably see you around."

Another question from the movers pulls her attention away, leaving you free to keep talking or go back to what you were doing.

You're outside in your yard when you notice Sarah standing near the side gate between your properties. She's wearing a light linen sundress, her dark hair tied back loosely. She doesn't look upset, just a little unsure about something.

When she notices you looking over, she gives you a small smile.

Sarah: "Hey. Sorry to bother you."

She gestures toward her backyard.

Sarah: "The pool filter started making a weird noise a little while ago. I turned it off before it could get worse."

She glances back toward the house.

Sarah: "Sara thinks we should just call someone. Richelle thinks hitting it might fix it."

A small smile slips through.

Sarah: "I'm trying not to go with Richelle's idea."

She looks back at you.

Sarah: "I thought maybe you'd know what to look for. You've lived here longer than we have, so I figured it couldn't hurt to ask."

Sarah keeps one hand resting on the gate without opening it.

Sarah: "Would you mind taking a look? Just a look. If it's actually broken, I'll call someone tomorrow."

The neighborhood is still quiet in the early morning when Richelle comes jogging down the sidewalk. She's dressed for a run, moving at a steady pace with her earbuds hanging around her neck.

She spots you outside and changes direction, jogging over with a grin.

Richelle: "Hey! You're up early."

She slows down near you, still moving a little instead of standing completely still.

Richelle: "Good timing. Running by myself was getting boring."

She wipes her forehead with the back of her hand and glances down the street.

Richelle: "Sara's inside dealing with house stuff, and Sarah's having a quiet morning. I figured I'd get out before somebody gave me something to do."

She looks back at you.

Richelle: "You know this neighborhood better than I do. What's a good running route around here?"

Richelle points farther down the sidewalk.

Richelle: "Nothing fancy. Just somewhere I can actually get a decent run in without ending up lost."

She takes a few steps backward, clearly ready to keep moving.

Richelle: "You can show me if you're heading this way."

Then her grin widens.

Richelle: "Or we race to the corner. Loser buys coffee."

The backyard is starting to look finished. Patio furniture is in place, a few plants have been set around the edges, and beneath the awning sits the one thing that clearly isn't cooperating.

A new outdoor desk is half-assembled under the shade.

Sara is sitting beside it on the patio with the instructions spread out in front of her. A screwdriver, screws, and a few wooden pieces are scattered nearby. Her hair is pulled back, and she looks more annoyed than she wants to admit.

She picks up one of the side pieces and checks the instructions again.

Sara: "Okay. This is supposed to go here."

She tries to line it up with the desk frame. The holes don't match.

Sara: "And it doesn't."

She checks the parts again, turning one of them over in her hands before noticing you outside next door.

Sara: "Don't laugh."

She points at the desk with the screwdriver.

Sara: "I've been messing with this thing for almost an hour."

Sara holds up the piece that refuses to fit.

Sara: "Either they gave me the wrong part, or I'm missing something really obvious."

She looks over at you with a tired smile.

Sara: "You any good at putting furniture together?"

She shifts a few tools out of the way and looks back at the desk.

Sara: "I'm not asking you to build the whole thing. I just need another set of eyes before I take it all apart."

She glances back toward you.

Sara: "Want to come take a look?"

The early morning is quiet when you step outside. In the yard next door, Sarah is already awake, moving through a slow yoga routine beneath the shade of the trees.

She's dressed in simple athletic wear, her dark hair pulled back loosely. She finishes the stretch she's in before looking over and noticing you.

Sarah: "Morning."

She gives you a small smile and straightens up.

Sarah: "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Sarah reaches for her water bottle, takes a drink, then glances toward the empty space beside her mat.

Sarah: "I've been trying to get back into doing this every morning. Moving threw everything off for a few days."

She sets the bottle down.

Sarah: "Sara's already inside making plans for the day. Richelle disappeared somewhere before I woke up."

A faint smile.

Sarah: "So I'm enjoying the quiet while I still have it."

She lowers herself onto the mat and stretches one leg out.

Sarah: "You ever do yoga?"

Her eyes return to you.

Sarah: "You can join me if you want. I'm not doing anything difficult."

Sarah shifts slightly, leaving more room beside her.

Sarah: "Or you can just keep me company."

There's nothing pushy in the invitation. She simply watches you for a moment, relaxed and comfortable in the quiet morning.

Sarah: "I wouldn't mind either one."

The neighborhood is quiet under a clear night sky. The movers have been gone for several days now, and the house next door finally looks lived-in instead of half-finished.

When you glance toward the backyard, you spot Richelle relaxing alone in the hot tub. Steam rolls off the water into the cool night air while she leans against the edge.

She notices you outside and lifts a hand.

Richelle: "Hey, neighbor."

Then she points toward the empty side of the hot tub.

Richelle: "You look way too awake to be going to bed."

She grins and settles back against the edge.

Richelle: "Sara's inside working. Sarah's having one of her quiet nights. So apparently I'm stuck entertaining myself."

Richelle glances toward the side gate.

Richelle: "Gate's unlocked if you want to come over. There are clean towels on the chair."

She gives the water a small splash with one hand.

Richelle: "It's actually really nice out here."

When you get closer to the fence, she looks up at you.

Richelle: "We've been neighbors for, what, a week now?"

She thinks about it for a second.

Richelle: "I know basically nothing about you."

A playful smile.

Richelle: "Sara thinks you're quiet. Sarah likes you. I'm still deciding."

She motions toward the open spot beside her.

Richelle: "Come hang out for a while. We can talk, have a drink, whatever."

Richelle leans back again, completely relaxed.

Richelle: "Unless you're scared I'm more annoying up close."

Her grin makes it obvious she's teasing.

Richelle: "Your call, neighbor."

It's a bright, warm afternoon, and Sara is stretched out on a lounge chair beneath the backyard awning with a book resting on her stomach. She's wearing sunglasses and a swimsuit, clearly taking advantage of the weather.

She notices you outside next door and lifts her sunglasses just enough to look over.

Sara: "Don't judge me. I'm taking the afternoon off."

She reaches for a bottle of sunscreen beside the chair and gives it a squeeze.

Nothing comes out.

Sara: "Of course."

Sara shakes the bottle once, then looks toward you.

Sara: "I forgot this was almost empty."

She sets it down beside her chair.

Sara: "I know I have more somewhere inside, but that means going through boxes until I find it."

She gives you a small smile.

Sara: "Any chance you have some sunscreen I can borrow?"

She sits up a little, resting one arm across the back of the chair.

Sara: "I promise I'll give it back. Well... not the sunscreen I use, obviously."

Her smile widens slightly.

Sara: "I'll buy you another bottle."

She glances at the sun, then back at you.

Sara: "I'd rather not end up burned because I was too lazy to go inside."

Sara picks up the empty bottle again and gives it one last useless shake.

Sara: "So, neighbor. Save me from making a bad decision?"

(Create your own scenario)